What's So Great About Valentine's Day?
by Sweet Nymph
Summary: When Beast Boy discovers Raven hates Valentine's Day, he sets out to show her how great it can be! Not a lot of romance. Mainly hints.
1. The Plan

A/N: So I'm guessing everyone is ready to tar and feather me for not updating any of my stories for months! But there is a reason! My computer got a virus and all my files got destroyed, so I lost the chapter of "A New Way Of Seeing" I was working on. I'm trying to rewrite it, but until then, please accept this as an offering of apology.

* * *

**What's so Great About Valentine's Day?**

Love was in the air.

Literally.

Raven wrinkled her nose as Starfire sprayed yet another sample of perfume into the air. "Come on", Raven said, dragging her away from the display. "We're here for groceries, not cologne."

"But the aromas are most pleasing," Starfire chirped. "And the decorations for this Festival of Love are quite joyous!"

The "Festival of Love" Starfire referred to was St. Valentine's Day. It wasn't even February yet, but the supermarket was already decked out in pink and red, and already had that one aisle filled to the brim with cards, candy, and those ridiculous singing animals. Naturally, Starfire found that area with all the accuracy of a heat-seeking missile finding lava.

Resigning herself to a long morning, Raven sighed as Starfire became enchanted by a gorilla singing "Wild Thang".

What's so great about Valentine's Day, anyway?

* * *

"'What's so great about Valentine's Day?!'" Beast Boy goggled at her for a while. It was February fourth and Raven had just presented him with the question. At which time he almost fell off the edge of the roof where he was sitting.

Raven suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "It's a pointless holiday designed to make naive fools spend hundreds of dollars on wilted flowers, tasteless candy, and folded paper filled with pretty, meaningless words."

Beast Boy opened and closed his mouth several times before actually speaking. "Well... yeah. I mean... I guess you have a point... but that's not _all_ V-day is about!"

She raised a disbelieving eyebrow.

"Like... what about the people who give the gifts? Or _get_ them! Those pretty words aren't so meaningless to them." He grinned triumphantly.

This time, Raven had to suppress the urge to snort. "If a person really cares about someone, he wouldn't need a specified day to show it."

She ended the conversation, standing and walking away, leaving Beast Boy gaping after her.

* * *

To say Beast Boy was distracted for the rest of the day would have been an understatement.

"Yo, B! What's up with you, man?"

Beast Boy snapped out of his daze. "Huh...?"

Cyborg raised an eyebrow at him. "That's the fifth time I've beaten you today. It's like you're not even tryin'."

Beast Boy looked down at his game controller without actually seeing it. "Sorry. Guess I've got a lot on my mind, is all."

"Like what?" Cyborg grinned. "Don't' have a date for the Valentine's Day party yet?"

Beast Boy scratched his chin thoughtfully. "A date," he murmured. "A date..." A grin broke out on his face. "It's _perfect_! Cy, you are a _genius_!"

"Huh?" Cyborg blinked after him. "What'd I say?"

But Beast Boy was already gone.

* * *

Beast Boy knocked on Raven's door. "Raven?" No answer. He pressed his ear to the door. She was in there. He could hear her breathing. "Raven?" He knocked again. Then again.

And again.

And a--

"What do you _want_?!'

Beast Boy gulped. Were her eyes taking on a red hue?

"Hi...," he squeaked. He cleared his throat before continuing. "Hi, Raven. Look, I just got this great idea!"

"Tell someone who cares." She started to close the door, but Beast Boy held it open.

"Bear with me, here. Look, you don't like Valentine's day, right?"

Raven frowned. "Right."

"Have you ever _experienced_ it?"

"........ What?"

He waved his arm dramatically. "You know. _Experienced_ it. The whole V-day scene. Have you ever gotten a Valentine, or gone out or anything?"

Her frown got even deeper, if that was possible. "Is there a point to this?"

"Yes!" He grinned. "You don't' like Valentine's Day because you've never celebrated it! Here's my idea: Robin is taking Star out on the fourteenth, and Cyborg has a date with Sarah. We'd be here alone, anyway, so why not let me show you how to have fun of Valentine's Day?" Grin.

Raven blinked, a little stunned. "You mean... like a date?"

Beast Boy jumped back a step. "No! Not a _date_ date. More like... a date between friends."

Raven stepped out of her room, allowing the door to shut behind her, and brushed past Beast Boy. "That has got to be the dumbest idea you've ever come up with."

Beast Boy made a few offended noises. "It is _not_. I've thought up _much_ dumber ideas than that! Wait... I mean I..." He scratched his head. "What I meant to say was.... um..."

Raven rubbed her temples. "If I say I'll go with you, will you _shut up_?!"

Beast Boy's mouth closed abruptly, then widened into a grin. "Sure!"

She sighed. "Fine. I'll go."

"Awesome!" He ran past her, heading for the living room. "You'll never live to regret it!" he called.

Raven rubbed her temples again. "If I'm lucky, I'll never live to go through it."

* * *

A/N: Please Review. I'll try to write more as soon as I can. 


	2. The Day

A/N: I would like to thank all my reviewers individually. I'd like to, but is removing all stories with really long rants. So just take my word for it that I'm glad you're all enjoying this. Except for one person. I don't even remember who. I guess they don't like R/B. Makes me wonder why they're even reading this. 

Um… anyway., looks like I'm too late for Valentine's Day. Let's just assume that this is for next year. Hey, it may even be finished by then!

* * *

**What's So Great About Valentine's Day: Part II**

Robin grimaced, trying to force his tie into a decent bow. "I hate tuxedoes", he muttered to his reflection in the window.

"Then why you wearin' one, man?" Robin looked from his makeshift mirror to his friend. Cyborg was adjusting the flowers in the pink and red bouquet he had purchased for his date. "I'm taking Star out to dinner", Robin explained. "It's a nice place. I _have _to wear a tux."

Cyborg grinned, his natural eye crinkling mischievously. "Sounds like somebody's trying to impress somebody else."

Robin threw a couch cushion at him.

Beast Boy's head popped up from behind the couch. "You all ready for the Big Night?" A huge grin covered his green face.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Robin muttered, finally attaining a reasonable bow.

"Are you sure you know what you're doin', B?" Cyborg asked.

"Do I ever?" Grin.

Cyborg and Robin exchanged glances. "Cyborg's right," said Robin. "Raven's not exactly a Valentine's Day kind of girl. I'm surprised she's even going on this date."

Beast Boy started waving his hands in front of him. "It is _not_ a _date_!" he denied. "We're just… going out as friends."

Robin and Cyborg exchanged glances again, this time coupled with amused smirks. "Sure, man," Cyborg quipped. "Whatever you say."

Beast Boy glared at them. "Don't you two yahoos have somewhere else to be?"

Robin nodded. "Just waiting for Starfire."

"I am ready." Starfire walked in wearing the gown she wore to Kitten's Junior Prom. Only now it fell to just above her knees.

Robin jerked his eyes away from her legs and forced himself to look her in the eye. "What happened to your dress?"

Starfire blushed and adjusted the skirt. "Is my appearance unacceptable? I am afraid Silkie thought my gown was fit to ingest. I was able to save most of it, but the bottom was ruined." Her voice held a note of apprehension.

Robin smiled at her. "You look great. We'd better get going. Our reservations are in half an hour."

"Need a ride?" Cyborg offered. "I can drop you off before I pick up Sarah."

Beast Boy rolled his eyes. "Whatever! Just get going!" He ushered the group toward the door.

Cyborg raised an eyebrow. "You _that_ anxious to be alone with Rae?"

Robin nudged him and gave him a look. "We'll meet you at the party," he told Beast Boy.

"Yeah. Sure, Whatever. See you." The second the door closed, Beast Boy ran over to the window. It was only a few minutes before the T-Car sped across the water, aimed for the city lights.

"Perfect." Beast Boy rubbed his hands together as he turned away from the window.

Now the _real_ fun could begin.

* * *

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos… Azarath, Metrion, Zin—"Beep, beep, beep, beep… 

A stream of black energy reached out and shut off the alarm. Raven unfolded herself from the Lotus position and stretched her cramped limbs. Meditating for several hours straight was painful, no matter how often one did it. In any case, it was time for her date with Beast Boy.

_No. Not a date. We're just going out as friends._

Raven's reflection nodded at her in agreement as she picked up her brush and ran it through her hair. Raven had briefly considered dressing up, but rejected the idea almost before it had been formed. It wasn't a date, so there was no reason for her to dress up.

I can't believe I got myself into this. What was I thinking? I wasn't. That's how I got into it. I must be crazy.

After several minutes of debating her own sanity, Raven decided her hair couldn't take any more abuse. Trying not to cringe at the thought of an evening of "fun" with Beast Boy, Raven left the safety of her room.

The door to the living room opened with a hydraulic _whoosh_. Raven stepped into the dark room, finding that all of the lights were off. The moon shone through the window, casting eerie shadows throughout the room.

_Looks more like Halloween than Valentine's Day_, she thought, pulling her cloak around herself like a shield from the shade.

Ding-dong! 

Raven jumped, her eyes searching the darkness for whatever has made that keening noise. It sounded again, making Raven jump once more. She tried to ignore the ringing in her ears so she could identify the tone. It seemed familiar. Like a gong. Or a bell.

Or a doorbell.

Groaning inwardly at her cowardice, Raven turned herself into a mass of black energy and flew down through the floor to the bottom level. She had forgotten that the Tower had a doorbell. But considering that the only people who ever visited would just tear down a wall and waltz in, her forgetfulness was understandable.

The doorbell rang again a Raven returned to solid form beside the control panel. Her hand hesitated over the button. She could very well be walking into a trap. Raven looked around, finally settling on Robin's filing cabinet for criminal records. She wrapped her black energy around the large object, lifting and preparing to throw it at any intruder. Stepping slightly to the side, out of the line of fire, Raven opened the door.

"Hey, Rave—_YAH!_"

Beast Boy dropped to the ground, narrowly escaping death by cabinet. Huge violet eyes blinked at him from the doorway. "Beast Boy?"

Beast Boy stood and started brushing himself off, grimacing at the formerly exquisite bouquet. Dang. He'd spent a lot of time picking that one out. Oh, well. He could buy her some roses or something later.

Although she would never admit it, Raven was embarrassed. Her only excuse was that she hadn't expected Beast Boy to use the front door. Not when he lived there. Fortunately, her raised hood hid her warm cheeks. "Why didn't you just wait in the living room? Like a _normal_ person."

Beast Boy removed an orchid petal from his hair. "This is part of the Experience."

"Getting office furniture thrown at your head, or flower diving?"

Beast Boy glared at her before kneeling down to sift through the flattened bouquet. After a quick but thorough search, he uncovered a lily that wasn't too crushed and offered it to Raven. "I'll get you something better when we get to town."

Raven stood silently for a long moment before reaching out and accepting the blossom.

Beast Boy grinned at her and grabbed her other hand. "Let's go!"

* * *

A/N: It will probably be a while before I update again. I'm working on the next chapter of "A New Way of Seeing", so... don't go Angry Mob on my just yet, okay?


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